Owen is 2!

Owen officially turned 2 on the 30th of March! Since Daddy was working on his birthday we had a small celebration at home with Grandpa and Grandma Russell the night before. This year Owen was definitely interested in opening his presents and couldn't get enough of blowing out his birthday candles. The obvious theme of his gifts was anything to do with trains, but it sure didn't make Owen any less excited when he opened a gift. Owen would hold up the gift with total excitement and continually shout out "train, train, train!"

The older Owen gets the more we see his personality emerge. Owen is a sweet, sensitive, and loving little boy. He has a fairly easy going tempermant, but is definitely capable of some serious pouting...I've been told both my kids get that from me:) He's also all about testing his limits right now and wants to discover the relationship between cause and effect. Owen is our little thrower...toys, books, whatever...especially when he's upset. We are desperately trying to get this under control and so Owen's spent his fair share of time in the "get ready/naughty" spot. I think he is getting better, but still needs lots of reminders. Owen's vocabulary is improving each day. He has a hundred plus single words and several phrases, but when he goes to have a conversation there is still very little we understand. I'm hoping to get a video of him talking so I can share it.

Tatum giving Owen a giant birthday hug

Completely Pooped

Shortly after lunch today I found Owen downstairs sound asleep on the carpet...it wasn't quite 12:30. This is a first for us. I never thought I would have a child fall asleep while playing! Poor guy, I think he may still be recovering from his ear infection.

Best Pals

I'm continually surprised (in a good way of course) at how well Tatum and Owen get along. Not to say they don't fight, yell, hit or push each other, but for the most part I think they truly enjoy each other's company. Whenever I catch them in a "moment", I try and whip out my camera and snap a picture.

This is Tatum and Owen's favorite spot to watch TV. I hardly ever find them on opposite ends of the couch.

Because Tate is the big sis, Owen often wants to do the same activities she does...dressing up is one of those things. Here are the kiddos prancing around in their beautiful princess gowns.

I also have to mention the "hug" picture. Tatum and Owen are very affectionate with each other, typically sharing lots of hugs and kisses daily. Tatum is usually the instigator though, and will literally chase Owen around with open arms yelling, "I need a hug Buddy...just one hug, please!" After a little running around, Owen will almost always give in. Scott and I crack up whenever we watch this exchange between the kids.

March Birthdays Celebration

If you're on my Mom's side of the family, March is definitely the popular month to have a birthday. With the addition of Owen on the 30th, we now celebrate a total of 7 March birthdays! For as long as I can remember we've always had one large "March Birthday Party" celebration, and to this day the tradition continues. Now that Owen is apart of the March birthday gang, the attention is definitely focused on him. I think we'd all agree it's just more fun that way!

Tatum and Owen both clearly overjoyed by his new tee-ball set

Tatum, Owen and Tyler taking turns practicing their swing

Owen blowing out his birthday candles for the first time all by himself. He was so excited, we re-lit the candles about 4 times!

Roommates

Yes, the kids are each sleeping soundly in their own beds!

Tatum and Owen have officially been sharing a room for exactly one week and it could not be going smoother. I don't even have to put them down at different times. We read stories together, they each get into their own bed, we say a prayer, I give kisses and say goodnight, and so far (knock on wood) that's the last I hear of them until the morning.

I feel very fortunate that transitioning Owen to a big boy bed was a breeze. Owen for the most part is an excellent sleeper and appreciative of his rest. He's always welcomed going into his crib and I assumed the same would be true of his bed. Sleep with Tatum on the other hand has always been a battle. When we moved her into a bed, we had about three weeks of major challenges before she began to get used to the idea. Also, until recently we've been getting nightly visits from Tatum on a regular basis. Since Owen has joined her though, she's stayed in bed...I think she enjoys the company and feels more secure with him in her/their room. Transitioning them into one room was at the top of my to-do list prior to baby being born. I'm thrilled to say I can now officially cross that of my list!

My precious little boy sleeping soundly with his two favorite things; a baby doll and a train.

Here's another picture of Owen, again with the two things he treasures the most right now.

There's No Doubt About It

It's a boy!!! And as you can see from the lower photo, it is quite obvious! We had our ultrasound today and our beautiful baby boy is measuring right on track and appears to be very healthy. Seeing him close up for the first time today has me even more excited. I'm hopeful the second half of the pregnancy goes by quickly. I'm already anxious to meet this little guy!!

I must admit that discovering we were having a boy today was a little bittersweet, realizing I'm not ever going to have a baby girl again. I may shed a tear or two as I pass down all the pink stuff to my sis (for the future...), but of course this doesn't mean I'm any less excited about having another little man running around!

I thought this photo was too darn funny not to share...hope no one is offended.

"The Little Red Caboose"

For the time being, Owen's absolute favorite book is The Little Red Caboose....Owen refers to it just as Caboose. We've read him the book so many times now that Owen can finish several of the sentences for me. Tatum basically has the book memorized, and has occasionally offered to read the book to Owen. Recently I found the kids snuggled together on the couch, while Tatum was "reading" Caboose to Owen. I thought it was so sweet, I wanted to share the picture I took.

Maui Family Vacation

Even though we've been home for going on three weeks, I feel like I'm just getting in the swing of things again. I've been playing lots of catch-up now that I'm feeling more like myself again, however, I don't think my energy level will return to normal until well after baby arrives.

Our Maui vacation was wonderful! A good dose of sunshine was exactly what we all needed. This trip showed me that as your kids age, traveling definitely becomes easier. Tatum had a fantastic time and was very content simply playing in the sand, jumping in the surf, or catching an occasional wave with Daddy. Owen enjoyed himself too and was surprisingly comfortable to travel with, although his attention span obviously isn't quite at Tatum's level yet. He would enjoy the beach for 15 minutes or so before he would be ready to go onto the next "thing". Owen needed a lot more corralling/distracting/entertaining, which of course is completely normal for a 22 month old. I have hope that vacations won't always be so much work! Don't get me wrong though, all the challenges of traveling with little ones are definitely worth it...just check out the pictures!

Scott and I were able to sneak in 2 adult only dinners...thanks Grandma and Grandpa! Here's a self-portrait outside the front of Mama's Fish House.

Also, to all you parents out there with future trips planned to Maui, Scott and I would highly recommend using a Maui babysitting/nanny service called Happy Kids Maui. We used them one night so we could go to dinner with Scott's family and our babysitter was awesome! Owen literally cried with arms outstretched when Jackie left. Although it made me feel bad, I knew he had enjoyed his time with her.

Good News To Share In 2009

We're Expecting!! Yes, I'm nearly 13 weeks pregnant and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of our third little blessing in late July! I had my second doctor's appointment yesterday and got a sneak peak of the baby who happened to be sucking his/her thumb at the time. I'm thrilled that the family I've dreamed of for as long as I can remember is nearly complete!!

Now that the horrible nausea I've been experiencing for the last 5 weeks is beginning to subside, I hope to bring our blog back up to speed. Here are a few pictures from last month.

Winter Blast 2008
We accumulated well over a foot of snow that covered the ground for nearly two weeks! It gave me something pretty to look at while I lay miserably on the couch. Both the kids enjoyed the snow, but especially Tatum. She could have spent the day outside, sledding down the hill right outside our front door and playing with the neighborhood kids.

Christmas Morning

Tatum received a Bitty Baby from Santa and Owen received Geo Trax Grand Central Station. We all enjoyed our Christmas morning together at home and then spent the afternoon with my family. I was super thankful for the anti-nausea medication prescribed to me by my doc...I don't think I would have been able to participate in the festivities otherwise.

14 weeks is typically my magic number to be rid of the nausea. I've almost (we've almost, meaning my poor husband) made it...this pregnancy should be downhill (for the most part) from here!

Oh Christmas Tree

December 1st is officially here, let the Christmas season begin! Christmas is my favorite holiday, and while I'm slightly embarrassed to admit this, I've been listening to Warm 106.9 for about the last two weeks. For those of you unfamiliar with this station, Warm 106.9 has been playing Christmas music around the clock since the start of November!

Yesterday, we went to a local tree farm in search of the perfect Christmas tree. It didn't take us long to find it, and once home I was eager to bring it in and start decorating. Decorating the tree is one of my favorite Christmas traditions! I love reminiscing about the story of each Christmas ornament...when it comes to my ornaments, I have a great memory!

Now that the tree is trimmed our biggest challenge is to keep the kiddos (particularly Owen) from touching and removing the ornaments. My new famous line is, "No touching, just look!" Unfortunately, one ornament has already been broken, but Scott's assured me that with a little super glue he can fix it like new. I'm on serious Christmas tree patrol until the newness of the tree wears off.

Daddy and Tate hauling our freshly cut tree to the car


Owen thoroughly enjoying his complimentary candy cane


My attempt at getting a group photo with our Christmas tree